STEPHEN Kernahan will retire as Carlton president this year with a serious sense of satisfaction and a belly full of frustration.

The former comes from knowing he has played a part in ensuring the Carlton Football Club will be alive and kicking for some time yet, dragged back from a near-terminal basket case.

Being a competition laughing stock cut the 50-year-old known as “Sticks’ to the quick, so he modified some words from the non-AFL John Kennedy to read, “Ask not what your club can do for you, ask what you can do for your club”.

He had already done more than most for his club from 1986-97 in playing 251 games, kicking 738 goals and captaining it to a couple of flags.

Blessed with an iconic mullet and a voice to match Barry White — although only one can sing — Kernahan saw himself as an ex-player who would help out when called upon but hardly one who’d rub shoulders with AFL commissioners.

Circumstances led to him stepping in for Richard Pratt as president in 2008 of a club with little sponsorship, poor membership and long-outdated facilities. Today the $10 million dollar debt has been reduced by half and the club is healthy in most areas, hence the sense of satisfaction, even if he does point to Richard and Jeanne Pratt and their family as being the true saviours.

So why the frustration?

It all comes back to what happens once the siren sounds, like the halcyon days when he could take a mark in a six-deep pack and slot a goal.

“Yes, we are settled off-field and we know where we are going. We paid $1 million off our debt last year and will do the same until 2017 when we clear it,” Kernahan said.

“But my lament is we haven’t quite got where we’d like to be on-field. I’m acutely aware we are in a win-loss business and that’s why we got the best coach available, in our opinion.”

That coach, Mick Malthouse, was someone Kernahan had met just twice in passing and one he held the same opinion of as many of the football public.

“I knew he could coach and I knew he was hard with the media from those press conferences. I always found them good entertainment value.

“But the decision was hard. ‘Ratts’ (Brett Ratten) did a great job for this club. He got us from low down on the ladder to finals in 2009-10-11.

“It was a tough thing, but footy moves so quickly. Boards make calls and live and die by them. What’s best for the club has to be done.

“People often ask me now is Mick hard at it all the time? I guess that’s the side you don’t see, the person I have enjoyed getting to know over the past 12 months.

“He’s been fantastic around this place behind the scenes galvanising all the different departments — now he is starting to put more of his stamp on the team.

“I haven’t spoken to him about going beyond his (contracted) three years, but I’d like to see him build this side, put his stamp on it and then sit down after the third year and see what he thinks.”

Carlton president Stephen Kernahan said he knew Mick Malthouse could coach, so that’s why the Blues went and got their man. Picture: Jason EdwardsSource: News Corp Australia

Kernahan will, by then, be just another supporter and you get the feeling that’s what he views as ideal.

Running his successful printing business, playing a weekly round of golf at Kew, raising his daughters Ellie, 20, and Katie, 17, with wife Jenny from their Essendon home and having a few Crown Lagers with mates such as Adrian Gleeson, Craig Bradley, Mil Hanna and Greg Williams.

He doesn’t admit it, but there will a sense of relief. Even if Carlton supporters will still stop him in the street or turn in their seats for answers from “Sticks”.

“In that sense, his role would be similar to that of Eddie (McGuire). They are such public faces of their clubs that people approach them and that makes it a very constant job,” Carlton CEO Greg Swann said.

“At games he is very quiet but very tense underneath. You can sense him riding every mark and bump.”

Swann, chief executive throughout Kernahan’s presidential tenure, says history will judge his time very kindly.

“Considering where we were, he has done a fantastic job. But he remains the same incredibly humble bloke, almost ridiculously so,” Swann said.

Swann’s own future at the club has sometimes been questioned by restless board members keen for change despite a positive financial line.

Kernahan was blunt when assessing Swann’s performance: “He has been outstanding for us in seven years. He’s been on three-year deals and he’s now on a year-to-year (contract) ... which we will do again at the end of this year. He’s highly sought after because he’s a very good operator.

Mick Malthouse 'We're hungry to get out and play our best'
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Carlton coach Mick Malthouse says he is ready for their season opener and not concerned with squad selections

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15 Mar 2014

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The current board of 12 will be trimmed to either seven or nine.

“I’m conscious of getting the board numbers down, even if it causes others more pain than it causes me,” said Kernahan, who will make a complete break when he steps down.

“The board will have to make the call on the number of football people on it, but I think it would be good to have another ex-footballer. Fraser Brown is around the place and would be good.”

His desire is to see Carlton win games, then finals, then premierships.

At times when speaking of the on-field action, you get the impression he‘d like to roll up the sleeves and get out there.

“I did work with Lachie Henderson because Jonathan Brown suggested I do so. He is going to be a great player for this footy club, a really good person, but I don’t interfere because we have so many coaches.

“There are so many people helping out without board members sticking their noses in. I don’t go out on the track and if someone sees me there, feel free to drag me off.”

Kernahan and coach Robert Walls with the 1987 premiership cup.Source: News Limited

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